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OXFORD, Ala. - Freshman
Allison Rager pitched another gem, but SIUE managed one run off of a two-out infield single in the top of the second inning and that was all they needed as Morehead State softball fell 1-0 in an OVC Tournament elimination game.
With the defeat, the Eagles end their season at 26-27.
"We were locked in a pitching duel and one hit was the difference in the game," said head coach
David Williams. "I am very pleased with the effort of our players. They came ready to compete today and fell just short."
The lone run in the contest came in the top of the second inning. Rager hit Allison Smiley to lead off the inning and Smiley then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Following a fantastic running catch by
Lizzy Margagliotti in foul territory to record the second out of the inning, Haley Adrian delivered a single up the middle, just off the glove of second basemen
Hannah Murphy, scoring Smiley and giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
The leadoff batter reached for the Eagles in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, but each time they came up short. Their best threats came in the fourth and fifth, when they had a runner on second with no outs, but SIUE's Baylee Douglass retired the next three batters on each occasion.
Morehead State managed just three hits, two of which were infield hits by
Aubrey Bennett, and they failed to get a runner to third base. They finished the game 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Douglass (15-11) picked up the shutout victory, allowing just three hits and two walks, while striking out four. She also hit two batters.
Rager (14-7) recorded the loss despite allowing just six hits and one earned run in seven innings. She walked one and struck out four. The freshman from Elk View, W. Va. allowed just three earned runs in 19.1 innings in the OVC Tournament and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Bennett finished the game 2-for-3. Senior
Dana Hutchins recorded the other hit for the Eagles, a double to lead off the fourth. Margagliotti, also a senior, finished 0-for-2, but hit a long fly ball that was caught at the wall with two outs in the seventh. She also made two fantastic plays in left field.
The Eagles' 26 wins mark the most for the program since they went 27-24 in 2010. With their win against defending tournament champion TTU yesterday, they ended an 11-game losing streak in the OVC Tournament and it marked their first postseason win since 2009.
